Lifespan - Ch. 15
Parkinson disease
A chronic, progressive disease characterized by muscle tremors, slowing of movement, and partial facial paralysis
Macular degeneration
A disease that involves deterioration of the macula of the retina, which corresponds to the focal center of the visual field
Dementia
A global term for any neurological disorder in which the primary symptoms
Major depression
A modd disorder in which the individual is deeply unhappy, demoralized, self-derogatory, and bored.
Semantic memory
A person's knowledge about the world - including a person's fields of expertise, general academic knowledge of the sort learned in school, and "everyday knowledge"
Free-radical theory
A theory of aging that states that people age because inside their cells normal metabolism produces unstable oxygen molecules known as free-radicals. These molecules ricochet around inside cells, damaging DNA and other cellular structurs
amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles
As alzheimer disease progresses, the brain shrinks and deteriorates. This deterioration is characterized by the formation of ______ ____ and _________ _____
Help for patients and families
Can alleviate symptoms, Drug therapy to maintain cognitive skills, External memory aids, Structured daily care and support Support for caregivers
diagnosis of alzheimer
Cannot diagnose with certainty until post-mortem testing of the brain
divided attention
Concentrating on more than one activity at the same time
Glaucoma
Damage to the optic nerve of the pressure created by a buildup of fluid in the eye
selective attention
Focusing on a specific aspect of experience that is relevant while ignoring others that are irrelevant
Symptoms of alzheimers
Gradual decline in memory, attention, judgment. Confusion about time and place. Difficulty communicating. Decline in personal hygiene. In appropriate social behavior. Changes in personality Later stages: Incontinence: loss of bladder or bowel control, Total loss of mobility
Arthritis
Inflammation of the joints that is accompanied by pain, stiffness, and movement problems; especially common in older adults
Cataracts
Involve a thickening of the lens of the eye that causes vision to become cloudy, opaque and distorted
Cellular clock theory
Leonard Hayflick's theory that the maximum number of times that human cells can divide is about 75 to 80. As we age, our cells become increasingly less capable of dividing
80.7
Life expectancy for females today
75.4
Life expectancy for males today
explicit memory
Memory of facts and experiences that individuals consciously know and can state
Implicit memory
Memory without conscious recollection; involves skills and routine procedures that are automatically performed
cardiovascular
Nearly 60 percent of U.S. adults age 65 to 74 die of cancer or _________ disease
Bridge job
Often blurred process involving part time work
pain
Older adults are less sensitive to ____
Retirement
Process by which people withdraw from full-time occupation
taste
Researchers have found that older adults show a greater decline in their sense of smell than in their _____
Neurogenesis
The generation of new neurons
Life expectancy
The number of years that will probably be lived by the average person born in a particular year
Hormonal stress theory
The theory that aging in the body's hormonal system can lower resilience to stress and increase the likelihood of disease
Life span
The upper boundary of life, the maximum number of years an individual can live. The maximum is about 120 to 125 years
Evolutionary theory of aging
The view that natural selection has not eliminated many harmful conditions and non adaptive characteristics in older adults
Japan at 82 years
What country has the highest life expectancy at birth today?
Social factors such as health attitudes, habits, lifestyles, and occupation
Why can women expect to live longer than men?
Arthritis
_________ is the most common chronic disorder in late adulthood, followed by hypertension
Osteoporosis
a chronic condition that involves an extensive loss of bone tissue and its the main reason many older adults walk with a marked stoop. Women are especially vulnerable to this.
Alzheimer disease
a progressive irreversible brain disorder characterized by a gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language and eventually physical function
Wisdom
expert knowledge about the practical aspects of life that permits excellent judgment about important matters
episodic memory
the retention of information about the where and when of life's happenings
sustained attention
the state of readiness to detect and respond to small change occurring at random times in the environment